


Granny

by Whedonista93



Series: Big Brother [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Leverage, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Family, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Super Soldier Serum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25547452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: Darcy Lewis:Scientist Wrangler and little sister.Girlfriend and conspiracy theorist.
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Eliot Spencer (Leverage)
Series: Big Brother [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1851247
Comments: 30
Kudos: 214





	Granny

Darcy frowns at Bucky across the room as he pauses in strumming his guitar to extract a knife from… somewhere and scratch his shoulder with it. He catches her staring and scowls. Darcy can’t help but laugh. His scowl deepens when he has to shove his hair out of his face. Darcy laughs harder.

Steve appears in her line of vision, disappointed face firmly in place. “Okay, what the hell, Darcy?”

Darcy grins. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it! He reminds me of El.”

Steve frowns, then looks at Bucky. “Huh.”

Darcy throws her hands up. “Right?!”

Steve’s frown deepens.

“What? That’s a thinking look.”

“What’s your boy’s family name?”

Darcy scoffs. “The real one? Hell if I know.”

“Think he’d tell you?”

Darcy cocks her head. “Steve, what’s turning your wheels?”

Steve shrugs. “Buck wasn’t exactly a choir boy back in our day.”

Darcy’s jaw drops. “You think they might _actually_ be related.”

Steve shrugs again.

Darcy nods slowly. “Okay… he’s on a job right now. Should be back tomorrow. I’ll see what I can find out.”

Darcy frowns when Eliot stumbles into her apartment, barely managing to keep himself upright, but he manages a smile at the sight of her perched at the kitchen bar.

She smiles back. “Hey, handsome.”

“Hey, Darce.”

She frowns. “Concussion?”

He holds his hand up, thumb and forefinger held apart not quite an inch. “Just a little one.”

Darcy rolls her eyes, but stands up and tugs his sleeve gently.

He stumbles right into her.

She laughs and stumbles, but manages to keep them both upright.

Eliot buries his face in the nape of her neck and wraps his arms around her shoulders. “I missed you.”

She wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes gently. “I’d say more than a little concussion.” She turns her head enough to kiss his temple. “I missed you too.” She tugs him toward the couch and let’s him slump down into the corner before curling up against his side.

He closes his eyes.

Darcy elbows him. “No sleeping.”

“Then keep me awake, darlin’.”

She frowns.

“You’re thinkin’ real loud.”

She chuckles.

“What is it, darlin’?”

“I’m wondering how mad you’ll be at me later if I take advantage of your concussed state.”

“Couldn’t ever be mad at you.”

“Tell me about your family.”

Eliot frowns. “Only family I’ve got worth mentioning ain’t blood.”

Darcy reaches over and grabs his hand. “Humor me.”

Eliot shakes his head. “Nah. I mean, even before Nate and Sophie, and Parker and Hardison. Even before then… my Granny wasn’t my Mama’s Mama. My Grandaddy died in the war before he even knew my Mama existed. Granny was a friend of my Grandaddy. Found out about my Mama after the war and just… inserted herself into our lives and never left. She never would talk much about my Grandaddy, though. Think it made her sad. She’s… you should meet her. She’s real sick now. Doesn’t always remember me.” He frowns. “Calls me James sometimes. Think it might’ve been my Grandaddy’s name.”

Darcy almost squeals. She controls herself, though, grateful Eliot’s concussed. He would have noticed her knee-jerk reaction if he wasn’t.

Eliot blinks awake groggily. His head is still pounding, but clear. He smiles at the sight of Darcy’s wild curls. Then remembers their conversation last night and frowns. He reaches over and brushes her hair out her face.

Her eyes slit open blearily. “Time is it?”

He glances at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Almost ten.”

She frowns. “I can’t even whine about it being too early.” She huffs out a breath. “So… mad at me?”

He reaches over and tugs her into his side. “Told ya I couldn’t ever be mad at you, darlin’. I am awfully curious, though.”

“You really want me to meet your Granny?”

Eliot nods. “I do. Ain’t gonna avoid this conversation forever.”

“I’m not trying to. I’m just stalling until the right moment.”

Eliot chuckles. “Tell ya what, go get ready. I’ll take you to meet Granny.”

Darcy shoots up. “Today?”

Eliot nods. “Today.”

Darcy showers faster than he’s ever seen her, and emerges in jeans, boots, and a gray sweater, curls already tamed into a braid over her shoulder, in less than thirty minutes.

Eliot frowns. "That's the fastest I've ever seen you get ready."

Darcy shrugs and bounces on the balls of her feet. "I've got a theory, and the sooner I meet your Granny, the sooner I know if I'm right or not."

Eliot rolls his eyes, but they're out the door and hailing a cab ten minutes later.

When they walk into his Granny's room, Eliot's whole being goes soft in a way that makes Darcy melt.

Eliot leans over to kiss the old woman's head. "Hey Granny."

His Granny pats his cheek. "Hello, Eliot."

Eliot's shoulders sag a bit, and his smile is small, and a little sad, but sincere. "I was hopin' it was a good day. I got someone I wasn't you to meet." Eliot shifts, so the women have a clear view of each other. "Darcy, this is my Granny, Margaret. Granny, this is my girl. This is my Darcy."

Darcy can't help her sappy grin at the introduction. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I promise I'll try to keep the freak out to a minimum."

Granny eyes her shrewdly. "Nice to finally meet you too, dear. I've heard so very much about you."

Darcy sees the gleam in her eye and smirks. "From which one of my boys?"

Granny chuckles. "All of them, dear girl."

Darcy claps her hands and throws a victory fist in the air. "I love it when I'm right! So Elliot _is_ his grandson?"

"He is." Granny tilts her head. "Who figured it out?"

Darcy plops herself into the edge of the bed and shrugs. "I pointed out a few similar mannerisms, but as much as I hate to admit it, Steve's the one that made the connection."

Granny's expression shines, then drops just as fast. "Would it be too much to ask that I get to witness the meeting?"

Darcy has her phone out before Granny even finishes the question.

"Hey, Darce," Steve answers warmly.

"Just met your old sweetheart."

Something crashes in the background. "We were right?!"

"Come visit. Now. And bring your brooding other half."

"Be there in twenty."

Darcy smacks a dramatic kiss to the mic, then disconnects. "They'll be here soon."

Granny is beaming at her.

"Okay, what the hell did I just miss?" Eliot demands.

Darcy and Granny both just grin at him.

He frowns. “You guys just made friends way too fast.”

Darcy pouts. “You don’t want me to get along with Granny?”

Eliot shakes his head. “No. Don’t pull that. You called somebody. You already knew who she was. I did not lay enough groundwork for you two to be this thick this fast.”

They both just continue to grin at him until he plops into the chair by the side of the bed and contents himself to scowl.

Darcy lets him stew until she gets a text from Steve that they’re less than five minutes away from the nursing home. “Honestly… you’re gonna feel kinda dumb when you figure it out. ‘Cause you _really_ should have figured it out already.”

Eliot’s scowl deepens.

Darcy sighs and tries not to laugh. “Okay, babe, how many Steve’s do I know?”

Eliot levels a Look at her.

Darcy rolls her eyes. “And why would I call Steve about your 90-something-year-old British Granny?”

Eliot’s face goes blank, then turns calculating as he turns his eyes to his Granny. His eyes flit around the room, taking in bits and pieces of memorabilia - not enough to give her identity away if you didn’t already know, Darcy had noticed when they walked in earlier. Eliot’s eyes flit back to Granny.

Granny smiles serenely at him.

Eliot’s lips purse. “What’s your maiden name, Granny?”

Her smile grows.

Steve walks into the room and crowds past Darcy and drops a kiss to the old woman’s head with a fond smile. “Heya, Peg.”

Peggy reaches up and pats his cheek. “Hello, Steve. Did you bring James?”

Steve jerks his head back toward the hall. “Lurking in the hall.”

Darcy rolls her eyes and stalks out into the hall.

Bucky is fidgeting in the shadow of a doorway halfway down the hall.

Darcy beckons him down.

He shakes his head.

Darcy frowns. “You can come willingly or I can drag you in by your ear.”

“I could get away.”

Darcy shrugs. “But you wouldn’t.”

His shoulders slump in defeat.

“Come in with some dignity, man.”

Bucky rolls his eyes, but comes down the hall.

Darcy hooks her arm through his and bodily drags him into the room.

Peggy’s eyes go soft. “Hello, James.”

Bucky grins, just a shade of old school charm shining through. “Hi, Peggy.”

Peggy shakes her head and huffs a breath out. “I must admit, I am envious of how well my dear boys have aged.”

Bucky’s grin grows, all charm now. “Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Peggy. Still one of the best lookin’ dames I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Peggy scoffs. “Save it for a younger woman.”

Incoherent muttering draws Darcy’s attention back to Eliot. She crosses the room and reaches up to smooth tense wrinkles from his forehead. “So, uh, you were right about your Grandaddy’s name being James.”

Bucky freezes. “Wait, what?”

Steve claps his best friend on the shoulder. “I _told_ you that you needed to come talk to Peg, Buck.”

Eliot and Bucky frown at each other across Darcy’s kitchen table.

Darcy rolls her eyes. “Steve!”

Steve jumps. “Huh?”

Darcy chuckles. “Come on, American Boy.”

Steve frowns. “Where?”

“You’re buying me coffee while there two get their scowl fest over with.”

Steve breaks into a grin. “We sure it’s safe to leave them alone?”

Darcy makes a show of scratching her chin. “J”?

“Yes, Miss Lewis?” JARVIS answers immediately.

“Call me if they get stabby.”

“Yes, Miss Lewis.”

Darcy beams. “There we go. Coffee, now.”

Steve salutes. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Darce,” Eliot says warningly.

“If you guys get stabby with my good kitchen knives, I will castrate you,” Darcy calls flippantly over her shoulder, dragging Steve out of her apartment.

“So…” Bucky drawls as the door clicks shut.

“So,” Eliot echoes.

Bucky sighs. “I don’t know how to do this whole family thing.”

Eliot scoffs. “You think I do?”

“Peggy says you were raised in Oklahoma? Bible Belt. Family, and all that is… the thing, isn’t it?”

Eliot shrugs. “When I was a kid and Mama was still alive, yeah. Daddy… after Mama died, Daddy fell off the wagon and ain’t climbed back up on it since then.”

“I’m sorry I never got to meet her.”

“She had your eyes.”

“How’d she die?”

“Car accident,” Eliot chrugs. “Nothing dramatic like a drunk driver. Got stuck out in a good ol’ Midwest storm. Hydroplaned right into a tree.”

“How old were you?”

“Not quite 13.”

“I’m sorry.”

Eliot shrugs. “It was a long time ago. Still hurts, but…” He shakes his head. “Joined the Army when I was seventeen. Ain’t been home since.”

Bucky cocks his head. “Been a while since you were in the Army.”

Eliot looks at his hands, folded on the table, and exhales shakily. “The things we’ve done ain’t all that different. Difference is I made the choice to do them.”

“Darce says you’ve turned over a new leaf.”

“Doing what I can to make amends,” Eliot allows.

Bucky leans back in his chair, hooking his hands behind his head and leaning his chair back on two legs, hooking a foot under the table to keep him upright.

If he was anyone else, Eliot would take the casual posture at face value. On Bucky, it makes Eliot tense.

Bucky grins, slow and easy.

Eliot tenses further.

“Your past bein’ what it is… I’m guessing you know a bit more than the average Joe about the Winter Soldier.”

Eliot simply nods.

“Good,” Bucky smirks. “Then you’ll know what I mean when I tell ya that if you ever hurt Darcy, you’ll only live long enough to regret it.”

Hardison gapes at Eliot. “Hold up, man… your Granny is _Peggy Carter_?”

Eliot shrugs. “Apparently.”

“And you’re Bucky Barnes’ grandson?”

Eliot nods. “That’s what she says. And the DNA too, according to Stark’s fancy machines.”

Hardison shakes his head. “Actually, that part makes a lot of sense. I have so many questions. Oh, man! Can I meet her?”

“No,” Eliot growls.

“Oh, come on,” Hardison whines. “Please?”

“No. You’re gonna act all-” Eliot trails off, waving vaguely.

Hardison shrugs. “Whatever, man. I’ll just ask Darcy.”

Eliot looks up to protest, but Hardison is already in the next room.

“Alec!” Darcy answers the video call with a bright smile.

He smiles back. “Hey, Darce. I have a - wait… ain’t the street outside the brewpub?”

Darcy winks. “Surprise!”

Hardison tsks. “Girl, get your ass up here!”

Darcy waves to Amy as she passes through the dining room and lets herself up the backstairs. She bustles into the kitchen long enough to breeze a kiss against Eliot’s cheek.

He actually looks surprised. “Darcy!” He smiles and reels her back in to kiss her properly.

Darcy smiles against his lips before spinning out of his arms. “Gotta go talk to Alec.”

Eliot’s smile is immediately replaced by a scowl. “Tell him no!”

Darcy flutters her fingers and makes her way toward Hardison.

“Girl!” He waves his tablet through the air. “I have so many questions. Will you introduce me to Director Carter?”

Darcy narrows her eyes. “Why?”

Hardison’s eyes go wide. “Woman! Do you have any idea how many conspiracy theories there are about her?”

Darcy laughs. “She’s not gonna confirm or deny anything, you know.”

“I just gotta know the answer to _one_.”

Darcy cocks her head. “Which one?”

Hardison holds both his hands up with a triumphant grin.

Darcy holds up a finger to stave him off. “You haven’t won me over yet. Pitch it.”

Hardison’s finger fly across the screen of his tablet, and images start to fill the screens in front of her. Pictures, mostly, all of women that look very much like Peggy Carter in her prime. A few facial recognition software screens, and virtual stacks of identities.

Darcy raises an eyebrow. “What am I looking at?”

Hardison enlarges one of the candid photos, Peggy in a bright red sweater and - wait, _jeans_? Darcy leans forward. Hardison adds an ID - a New York drivers license, and then starts scrolling through tax forms. Darcy’s eyes flick across the dates.

“You see?” Hardison asks, eyes a little wild.

Darcy’s mind flits through the possibilities. She pulls out her phone. “Hey Stark… your dad keep any records of Erksine’s serum trials pre-Steve?”

Darcy closes the door to Peggy’s room behind her and reaches into her pocket to switch on the little gizmo that Stark gave her to kill any bugs or cameras that might be in the room.

Peggy sits up a bit in her bed. “Darcy! What a pleasant surprise, my dear. How are you?”

Darcy grins and rolls her eyes. “Tired of listening to Eliot whine about Bucky.”

“They aren’t getting along?”

“Oh, they get along fine. But Eliot’s pouty because _he’s_ Bucky’s grandson, but Bucky gave him the shovel talk about _me_.”

Peggy chuckles. “Men.”

“Men,” Darcy agrees.

“Now, to what do I owe this delightful surprise?”

Darcy raises an eyebrow. “I think you’ve been keeping secrets, Director Carter.”

Peggy smiles. “That _was_ my job for quite a number of years, dear.”

Darcy nods. “Yeah, but I think you had a few even before that.” She tosses the tablet Hardison had given her onto the bed.

Peggy’s eyes flit down to it.

“Don’t even pretend you don’t know how to use it.”

Peggy laughs and picks the device up, shaky fingers swiping across the screen. The further she gets, the less her hands shake and the straighter she sits.

“You received an early version of Dr. Erksine’s serum,” Darcy says. “And under that impressive get-up, I’m willing to bet you don’t look a day older than you did the day Steve went into the ice.”

Finally, Peggy laughs. “Well, I’ll admit that took longer to come out than I expected.”

Darcy’s jaw drops. “We’re right?”

Peggy swings her legs over the side of the bed and tilts her head. “Did you doubt it?”

Darcy shakes her head. “No, but we kinda expected you to keep the facade up longer.”

Peggy shrugs. “I think I’ve kept it up quite long enough. Steve still owes me a dance.”

Darcy beams.

Peggy’s eyes sparkle. “Help me out of this godawful body suit?”


End file.
